Robin Hood
by DANZNQUEEN
Summary: This is my own version of the legend of Robin Hood. Robin is sick of the sheriff, & needs a new plan to defeat him. Then he meets the Maiden Marian, & things start to look up... This is my 1st published fanfic, so please review!
1. Prologue

"_**For the good **_

_**of all men,**_

_**and the love **_

_**of one woman,**_

_**he fought to **_

_**uphold justice**_

_**by breaking**_

_**the law."**_

_**-Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves**_

_**Prologue**_

_It was a beautiful, sunny afternoon; serene and seemingly uneventful. A light breeze gently caressed the tree leaves. The air smelled of honeysuckle. Lying in a grassy field gazing up at the sky was a young boy of about fifteen. _

_Suddenly the boy heard a faint noise. He sat up slowly and listened intently. Dogs. Dogs were barking. The sound got closer, and then he could hear shouting too. Men's voices. The boy stood up and looked out over the field. _

_Emerging from the trees at the edge of the field was a small boy, maybe nine years old. He was running away from something, and kept glancing over his shoulder as he ran. Seconds later a group of men emerged from the trees, holding back great dogs by their leashes, obviously in pursuit of the boy. They were several meters behind him, though, and the boy was gaining distance every second. _

_Then they released the mutts._

_The lad reached a tree just in time and scrambled up it quickly. He pulled his foot up just as the dogs reached the tree, snapping their jaws and growling ferociously. This is what they were trained to do, and they loved it._

_By the time the men reached the tree, the outraged young man had picked up his bow and arrow and ran over to the tree to meet them. _

_He realized with disdain that they were the sheriff's men._

"_May I inquire as to what manner creature is so dangerous that it takes six men to capture it?" asked the young man._

_The sheriff's men all stopped in their tracks, their expressions surprised. _

"_This does not concern you, boy," one of the men said. He was the largest, the most forbidding, and the only one on horseback; clearly the man in charge._

_Ignoring him, the young man peered up through the tree leaves and chuckled._

"_A small boy! Oh yes, truly fearsome."_

"_This _boy_ killed one of the king's deer! He has broken the law, he must be punished!"_

"_We're hungry, we need the meat!" the child called down suddenly._

_The young man stared at the sheriff's men with his penetrating gaze. "Is it not a greater crime to starve a family?" he asked quietly._

_The man who spoke before, the leader, stared right back._

"_May I have the pleasure of your name, Sir?" he asked coldly, narrowing his eyes. _

"_Robin of Locksley."_

"_Well, Robin of Locksley, I suggest you move on and mind your own affairs." He began to turn around._

"_No."_

_The man stopped. He turned slowly to face the young man called Robin. His followers were deathly quiet. No one dared make a sound._

"_What did you say to me, boy?" The look in his eyes was murderous._

_Robin was unfazed. He crossed his arms over his chest in defiance. "_No_."_

_The man gazed at him for a second longer, then ordered, "Kill him."_

_With astounding speed, Robin lifted his bow and shot at the nearest man, before any of them had a chance to draw their own weapons. The man fell to the ground in a heap. The child in the tree gave a cheer, and Robin grinned up at him. Robin shot at another man and hit him squarely in the chest, then ducked as an arrow soared past his head, missing him by mere inches. A third man, deciding on a different strategy, lunged at him with a sword, but Robin quickly reached down and pulled a sword from the scabbard of a man lying at his feet and ran him through with it. He watched in amusement as the last of the sheriff's men dropped his bow and ran off back towards the cover of the trees, glancing back at Robin in terror as he hurried away._

_The leader of the group, still mounted on his horse, called out as he rode away, "This isn't over, Robin of Locksley! The sheriff of Nottingham will not tolerate it! Mark my words, you will pay for this!"_

_And so he would. He had defended a criminal and murdered three of the sheriff's men; he himself was now an outlaw. There would be a reward for his head—he could no longer return to Nottingham._

_And thus was born the legendary Robin Hood._


	2. Chapter 1 Robin of Locksley

_**Chapter One**_

"I've got you now! You won't escape this time, Robin Hood!" cried the sheriff of Nottingham.

Robin ducked behind a tree. The arrow meant for him sailed through the air and hit the tree with a sharp _bing_. He glanced around the tree. The sheriff was the only one after him now; the rest of his men had either fallen already or had wisely run away. Robin lifted his bow and aimed just as the sheriff did the same. His arrow flew through the air and knocked the sheriff's bow to the ground.

Growling in anger, the sheriff drew his sword and urged his horse forward. Knowing he didn't have time to prepare another arrow, Robin turned and ran.

But he couldn't outrun a horse. He ducked and dodged around the trees of Sherwood Forest, but the sheriff and his horse were gaining on him.

Suddenly he tripped over a tree root and fell to the ground. He started to get up again, but the sheriff was already there. He grabbed Robin by the collar and threw him back to the ground. He put the tip of his sword to Robin's neck.

"Now," he began, triumph in his voice, "you will come with me back to Nottingham where you will be hung up in the streets like the common criminal you are. It is high time you paid for your crimes."

"I'll go nowhere with you. I'd sooner die," Robin said coldly.

"So be it. Any last words?"

Robin opened his mouth to say something, but there came a great thundering noise from behind him. He heard shouts. Then, out of nowhere, crashing through the forest came several burly-looking men armed with crossbows, arrows, swords and wooden spears. At the head of the group was a man Robin Hood knew well; Little John.

Little John shouted a war cry then led a charge towards the sheriff, brandishing his spear.

Without even the slightest hesitation, the sheriff removed his sword and rode away without another word in the direction he had come, leaving Robin lying on the forest floor, unscathed.

Little John extended his hand to Robin and pulled him up. "What would you do without me, boy?" John asked, chuckling.

Robin laughed, too. "I wouldn't survive," he said.

"Too right, you wouldn't!"

Little John, or John Little, as was his birth name, was Robin Hood's greatest friend and ally. They had known each other ever since Robin had been outlawed three years ago. He had been trying to cross a river in the midst of Sherwood Forest, when out of nowhere came Little John. He claimed to be the ruler of the wood, and demanded a tax from Robin before he was allowed to continue on his way. Having only a few coins with him at the time and unable to return home to replace his supply, Robin refused. This enraged Little John, and he challenged Robin to a duel. John pulled out his quarterstaff and prepared to fight, forcing Robin to concoct a makeshift quarterstaff from a broken tree branch. Of course, he could have just pulled out his bow and arrow and won the duel before it properly began, but Robin was a good man and a fair fighter.

In the end Robin won the duel, and such was Little John's respect for him that he offered Robin a place in his band of followers. Robin accepted, and from then on he had friends in the forest.

One of the other men, Will Scarlet, who traveled with John long before Robin showed up, spoke then.

"You are always getting yourself in trouble, Robin," he said, shaking his head mockingly. "When will you ever learn?"

"As long as King Richard is away fighting in the Crusades, my good friend, the sheriff will never relent! If we don't stand up to him, who will?"

"Just don't stand up to him alone next time, all right?"

"I'll try not to make a habit of it, Will!"

Robin walked over to where his bow and quiver of arrows lay strewn across the ground and picked them up, slinging the quiver over his back. One of the sheriff's men's swords lay on the forest floor a few feet away, and he picked that up, too. You could never have too many weapons.

Robin, Little John, Will Scarlet, and a few of the other men searched around the area looking for any more lost or discarded weapons. They found another sword and a fractured bow, then left the site and headed back to camp.

Camp was a few tents set up haphazardly, as well as several wooden boxes and trunks containing supplies and personal items. Not much had changed since that day three years ago when Robin first arrived here, hungry, tired, and on the lam. The only difference was now there were weapons in every tent, as well as extras stored in the trunks. These men, though sick and tired of the sheriff's cruel and unjust taxes and laws, were not fighters. They were simply peasants looking to escape the harsh town life and protect their families to the best of their abilities.

But then fifteen-year old Robin Hood arrived, like a blessing from above, and showed them the error of their ways. Before Robin Hood, they lived in hiding, in _fear_, from the sheriff and his laws. They cowered before his taxes and his trained men. Robin Hood taught and encouraged them to fight back, to defend themselves and their honor instead of simply running away.

"Don't you wish to end this, to go home? They push us to our limits, separating us, turning us against one another; but I say it is time we push back! The price for it may be dear, but I for one would rather die than spend my life in hiding!"

This motivational speech was greeted with an uplifting chorus of cheers and _Aye!_'s. Most of them had agreed wholeheartedly with Robin, eager to win back their pride and prove themselves worthy. But there were a select few who were not quite so trusting. They were skeptical of Robin and his new, audacious ways.

"You're mad! You want us to fight armored men on horse back with…with rocks and sharp sticks?" the cynical ones argued.

But still Robin pressed on. "If needs be. But with one true weapon you can not possibly go wrong." They all looked at him and then at each other, puzzled. "_Courage,_" he collaborated. "I've learned that one man fighting to defend his home is more powerful than ten hired soldiers."

Eventually the pessimists came around, though at times they still seemed reluctant to comply.

But that was all right,because Robin had his friends; Little John and Will Scarlet, among others, remained loyal to Robin through the good times and the bad. They were always there to support him and defend him when he got himself into tight situations (which occurred more often than anyone preferred). Theywere his family, all the family he needed.


	3. Chapter 2 Maiden Marian

_**Chapter Two**_

The next day, Robin packed a rucksack and set off before dawn, before any of the others awoke. He did this most mornings; he enjoyed watching the sunrise, and it was the perfect time to just sit and think, to relax, away from the interruptions and distractions of daily life at the camp.

He sat at the top of a hill cleared of trees, where he could look out at the forest spread below him and the beautiful expanse of sky before him. There was just a faint line of pink on the horizon.

As he sat in the cool grass, he thought about the little incident with the sheriff of Nottingham yesterday. That was just too close a call. They couldn't afford for anything like that to happen again.

Robin Hood thought about all the other encounters they'd had with the sheriff recently, and decided there were too many. They couldn't keep going on like this. Something had to be done soon, or eventually they would lose someone. It was inevitable. Although Robin had not confided this to anyone, he was secretly surprised that all of them had managed to survive so far. They had fought against the sheriff and his men too many times to count, had killed dozens of them, and had somehow managed not to lose a single person. It was pure luck, and Robin had a feeling that their luck was about to run out.

Despite all their successful battles, all the money and jewels they had stolen from the more privileged members of society and given to the less fortunate, despite the sheer numbers of the sheriff's men they had taken down, they were still pretty much exactly where they started. They were no closer to freedom now than they were three years ago. The only real difference they had made was raising the price on their necks.

What they needed was a plan. A real plan to stop the sheriff. They needed to attack, or encourage the town to revolt…anything. Anything besides just fighting them off when they attacked. What started as a brilliant idea was now getting old. Pushing back was no longer enough. They needed to switch to the offensive.

But what could they do? Robin was out of ideas.

He sat there on the hill for a long time, thinking through every possible strategy he could come up with. But all of his ideas had major flaws. Eventually he gave up and headed back towards camp.

He was about ten minutes into the trek when he heard twigs snapping behind him. He whipped around and peered into the trees, but he didn't see anything. He reached behind him to pull out his bow and arrow, then realized with chagrin that he hadn't brought them. _Stupid, Robin, stupid! _he thought. He usually brought some form of protection with him whenever he wandered off into the forest, but he hadn't felt like carrying the extra weight today. It was just his luck that the one time he decided to leave his weapons would be the time he needed them.

He waited a few more seconds, and when he didn't hear or see anything else he continued walking, keeping an eye out for any danger.

And then out of nowhere, something barreled into him from the side and wrestled him to the ground. It was a man in a black cloak. He was wearing a mask to conceal his identity. He rolled on top of Robin and pinned him to the ground. In his hand he held a dagger, which he tried to stab Robin with. Robin grabbed the man's wrist which held the knife, and was succeeding in keeping it from plunging into his face. The stranger was quite easy to overpower. Within a matter of seconds Robin had wrenched the dagger from the man and threw it into the trees, where it would be next to impossible to recover.

Then, in one swift movement, he threw the stranger off of him and leaped to his feet. The strange man got up just as quickly, though, and they began circling one another.

"How truly courageous, attacking an unarmed and unsuspecting man," Robin said, his breathing labored.

The stranger was silent as they continued to circle.

Without warning, the man rushed forward and attempted to punch Robin in the face, but Robin was too quick and ducked out of the way. Again and again the mysterious masked stranger sent vicious throws towards Robin, but each time Robin ducked or dodged the blows just in time. The man's breathing came in harsh gasps as he began to tire. When he seemed about to collapse from exhaustion, Robin took one swift, powerful throw to his midriff that sent him tumbling to the forest floor. Robin pinned him to the ground, and he struggled commendably under Robin's weight. He was strong, no doubt about it; just not quite strong enough.

"Tell me who you are, stranger! What do you want from me? Who sent you?"

Silence.

"Fine, then. I shall see for myself!"

He pulled the dark mask off, and gasped.

"You…you are just a girl!"

The young girl stared back at him, anger and hatred in her dark eyes.

"I am a_ woman_," she corrected, her tone icy.

Robin stood up, releasing her from his constraint. She stood up as well, brushing leaves and dirt from her cloak.

She looked up and appraised him critically.

"_You_ are but a boy," she snapped.

Offended, Robin replied, "I am a man!"

She snorted.

"I am certainly older than you!" Robin retorted.

"By what measure?" she sneered. "A month?"

He gaped at her in bewilderment, unable to think of a good comeback, and so settled for placing his hands on his hips arrogantly.

"Who are you?" he demanded.

"My name is Marian."

"Why did you attack me?"

She hesitated for a moment, unsure if she should confide in him.

"I thought you were one of them," she said slowly, cautiously.

"One of whom?"

"The sheriff's henchmen." There was evident distaste in her tone.

"What reason do you have for attacking the sheriff's men?" Robin asked, perplexed.

"They are looking for me."

"_Why_?" Robin was very surprised. "What could you have possibly done to have the sheriff of Nottingham after you?"

Marian hesitated again, debating whether or not to explain things to this stranger.

Finally she said, "I stole a loaf of bread from the market."

"Why?" Robin asked again.

Mistaking his curiosity for judgment, Marian suddenly became defensive. "I didn't steal it for myself! I encountered some starving children at the market, I had to do _something_!"

Robin held his hands up in a gesture of truce. "I didn't say that what you did was wrong! I was simply wondering what led a young maiden such as yourself to a life of outlawry."

Shock crossed her face for a moment. "I guess I _am_ an outlaw now…" she said quietly, more to herself than anything.

"That's right," Robin said, walking over to retrieve his rucksack where it lay on the ground. "You'd better get used to it. Once you've crossed the sheriff there's no turning back."

"What is that supposed to mean?" Marian asked. "Are you running from the sheriff too?"

"I don't _run _from the sheriff," Robin replied, starting to walk again, at a brisker pace this time, "but if you mean, is he after me too, then yes."

Marian dashed over to his side and picked up his pace.

"You never told me your name."

"You never asked."

She raised her eyebrows at him.

He sighed. "Robin," he said. "Robin of Locksley."

Her mouth dropped open and she stopped in her tracks.

Robin kept walking.

"Robin?" she asked, running to catch up with him. "You mean _the _Robin, as in Robin_ Hood_?"

"That's what they call me," he said lightly.

"You're joking!"

"Not in the slightest."

"_Oh…_" she breathed.

Robin chuckled. "Did you suspect I was a myth?"

"No, not at all," she clarified quickly. "It's just that you are the most wanted man in Nottingham, Barnsdale, _and _Yorkshire—I didn't expect you to be so…" she trailed off.

"Yes?" Robin prompted.

"Young," she finished. Robin was surprised to glance down and see her cheeks reddening. He laughed again.

"The way the sheriff speaks of you sounds as if you are much older, more…experienced, I suppose," she continued.

"Yes, well I'm sure he's not too proud of continually being outwitted and outfought by the likes of me."

Marian shook her head. "If the town knew who you really were, they might not be so frightened of the sheriff. Everyone believes you to be a veteran of the crusades, or an exotic soldier from a distant land, something of the likes."

Robin was pleasantly surprised. He'd had no idea about any of this. "Really?" he asked, and Marian nodded. Of course, he knew that he and his many exploits were usually the talk of the town, that he was somewhat famous now days, but he was not aware of the extent of the rumors. He wondered if Little John and Will Scarlet and the rest of them knew of this.

"So…what is it like?" Marian asked quietly.

"What is what like?" Robin asked.

"Being…who you are. Doing what you do. Stealing from the rich, giving to the poor, living on your own, terrorizing the sheriff….Everything."

"Er…" Robin began. He wasn't really sure how to respond to that question. He had never really thought about it before. "Well…first of all, I don't do everything alone."

"You don't?"

"Oh no, not at all!" he assured her. "I couldn't do half of the things I do without my friends! Trust me, if I was alone, I would have been captured and slaughtered a long while ago."

Marian grimaced slightly at his blunt choice of words.

"How many of you are there?"

"Oh, a couple dozen or so."

"Hm. Interesting."

"Why is that interesting?"

"Because no one has ever heard of anyone else helping you. The sheriff leads us to believe you're alone out here."

"That is very far from the truth."

They walked in silence for a few minutes. Eventually Marian said, "You never finished answering my question. What is it like to be the legendary Robin Hood?"

Robin took a deep breath and released it, thinking. After a moment he began slowly, "It's very…fulfilling. When I hand over a few jewels or a bag of coins, it nice to know I'm helping people, making a difference. When an old woman barely surviving, or a man just trying to support his family, or a young child sick from starvation takes my hand and…and thanks me with all their heart…it's an amazing feeling. Like I'm not just wasting my time and efforts trying to change a world that can never be changed. It makes living this life kind of life worth it, you know?"

When Marian didn't answer, he looked down at her and was surprised to see a lone tear rolling silently down her smooth cheek.

"What's the matter?" he asked, not so gently.

"Nothing!" she said, hastily wiping the tear away with her sleeve.

"You weren't crying over nothing!"

"I wasn't crying!"

Robin started to protest, but Marian spoke first.

"What you just said…was so…wise, so…kind…it just took me by surprise, that's all."

Robin found that he was the one blushing this time.

They walked in awkward silence again for a while, until Marian broke it with another question. "Where are we going?"

"I wasn't aware that _we _were going anywhere."

"What, were you planning on just leaving me out in the forest alone, without any protection?" she said indignantly.

"The way you tackled me earlier, I'd say you don't really need protection."

"Thanks to you, my dagger is lost! Now I've no weapon!"

Robin ignored her.

"And what about shelter, huh? And food? What am I supposed to eat? I'm on the run, just as you are!"

When he still didn't acknowledge her, Marian stepped in front of him, blocking his path.

"_Robin_! You can't just ignore me!"

"I'm thinking about it," he said, stepping around her. He didn't particularly want a girl—and that's essentially what she was, a girl—younger than his eighteen years—staying with them. They didn't need another burden, and that's all she would be. This life just wasn't for a maiden. She would only get in their way. Not to mention the distraction she would cause among the men, being the only female—and one of more than average attractiveness at that, he thought, peering at her bright, hopeful face—in their camp.

Plus, she was just so bloody annoying.

She took her place beside him again, keeping up easily even though he had increased his speed.

"I could help you, I really could!" she said eagerly.

"I highly doubt that," Robin muttered.

"Honestly! I can fight, you witnessed that yourself. With a little training I'll be just as good, better even, than your men!"

"Marian, I don't think—"

"Just listen! I could be useful at other things as well. I could act as a spy, relay information for you, or help make weapons. I could wear a disguise and sneak into town…"

Robin sighed, exasperated. "Marian, I just don't think that is the best idea."

She grabbed his shoulder and spun him around so they were face-to-face, and put both of her hands on his shoulders to keep him in place. She had to crane her neck to look him in the eye, such was their height difference.

"Robin, _please, _I'm begging you." And she looked so morose, so desperate, as she stared into his eyes, that he felt his resolve fading. She looked about to cry again. "I can't keep running," she said, her dark eyes boring into his, seeming to speak the things that she didn't. "I just can't. I promise I won't cause you any trouble, none at all. I'll stay out of your way if you want, do exactly as you say. Just let me join you."

He looked at her for a moment longer, until the intensity of her gaze became too much, and he turned away. "Fine," he said reluctantly. "You can stay with me."

"Oh, thank you so much!" she cried, throwing her arms around him for a brief hug, catching him off guard. He stood awkwardly for a moment, but she didn't seem to notice, and then he reached up and gently patted her hair.

For a brief second he wondered how Marian's reception from his fellow comrades would go, whether or not they would be angry with Robin for bringing her without consulting them first. But then he pushed the thought from his mind. He would cross that bridge when he came to it.

"I promise you won't regret this!" she said, releasing him and running a bit ahead, twirling a few times before stopping to let him catch up.

Robin smiled and laughed quietly, watching her. She was ecstatic. It felt nice to make her happy. And who knew, maybe he wouldn't end up regretting his decision after all.


	4. Chapter 3 A Tale

_**Chapter Three**_

They reached camp about fifteen minutes later and were greeted warmly by Little John.

"So, you finally decided to return, eh, Robin?" he boomed, embracing Robin roughly and clapping him on the back.

Little John's name was a misnomer; he was anything but little. He was almost seven feet tall, weighed approximately three hundred pounds, and was wider than Robin and Will Scarlet put together. He was just big-boned. His long black beard and hair were always tangled, and he rarely just spoke anything—he shouted it.

He became even louder when he noticed Marian, who was standing shyly behind Robin.

"Ha! And who might this be?"

"Little John, this is—"

"Marian," Marian interjected. "Pleased to meet you."

"We sort of…_ran into _each other in the forest this morning," Robin explained, fixing Marian with a meaningful stare. She grinned at him sheepishly. "The sheriff is after her as well."

"Well, well, well," said Little John. "Guess she'll just have to stay here then!" He threw an arm around her shoulder and began to lead her further into the camp. Marian giggled a little nervously and glanced back at Robin, but went with Little John willingly enough.

As Robin watched them walk away, he noticed a few of the men peeking heads out of their tents or looking up from their work curiously, their eyes following Marian appreciatively. Robin found he didn't much care for the looks she was receiving.

He began to follow after her and John, shooting death glares at the men around him until they took the hint and returned to their tasks.

Later that night after supper, the entire camp sat around a large fire they had graciously constructed to welcome Marian to their settlement. After a few minutes of polite conversation, someone brought up the question of how Robin and Marian had come across one another.

"Well," Marian began, clearly enjoying all the attention. "I had been wandering the forest for three days and three nights, you see, trying to stay hidden from the sheriff." Her eyes were bright with enthusiasm. "I believed myself to be the only human occupying this part of the forest, so naturally, when I noticed Robin, I assumed he was one of the sheriff's men hunting for me. My sense of self-preservation immediately kicked in, so I lunged and wrestled him to the ground!"

Robin rolled is eyes. "Don't forget to mention that you were holding a dagger whereas I was empty-handed," he reminded, but the men shushed him.

"We fought long and hard," she continued, "and I almost had him, but then he threw me off him and we both jumped up and started circling each other!"

Her audience was riveted.

"Then we began to fight!" The crowd gasped. "We both got in a few hits, but then by sheer luck Robin overpowered me and removed my mask. You should have seen his expression when he realized his worthy opponent was a _girl_!"

Everyone laughed, especially Little John, who had taken a great liking to Marian. Robin scowled at him.

"That's not precisely what happened," Robin muttered, but no one heard him.

Everyone continued the conversation, asking Marian questions about herself, bragging about their many adventures and triumphs by outwitting the sheriff's men, telling jokes and vying for Marian's attention. She won them over effortlessly. They were all impressed with her bravery in facing Robin, and she kept them entertained with stories of her escape from the sheriff and her life beforehand.

She'd lived in the heart of Nottingham with her father and two older brothers for all of her sixteen years—her mother had died when she was an infant—but all three of the men in her life were off fighting in the crusades and therefore were rarely ever home. Most of the time she was alone. She easily won the sympathy of every man in the camp, with her sweet, clear voice and large brown eyes. But, as he rubbed the bruise on his arm where she had knocked into him that morning, Robin couldn't help but wonder if maybe she was putting on a just a bit with the helplessness charade.

"You know," Little John said to her, "you remind me so much of my daughter. She's just a couple of years your junior, and I think you two would get along nicely."

"Where is she?" asked Marian. "Why isn't she here with you?"

A shadow crossed over Little John's features. Robin knew how much he missed his wife and two children.

"She is still living in Nottingham with her mother," Little John explained. "It is too dangerous out here for them." He smiled sadly at Marian. "Not everyone is born a warrior princess like you, Missy."

Marian blushed modestly. "I'm no warrior princess," she said quietly. And then, more audible, "I'm so sorry. You must miss them terribly."

"Yes, I do," said Little John simply.

"So," Marian said, speaking to everyone. "Do all of your families live in town?"

The were nods and various _yes_'s.

"All except our Robin here," said Little John.

Marian looked at Robin.

"Both of my parents are dead," he said, not meeting her gaze. "No siblings."

"Nor has he got himself a sweetheart!" Will Scarlet contributed cheerfully. "We've all just accepted that he'll die alone!"

Robin looked down, embarrassed. "I'm only eighteen, Will," he said defensively. "I've got plenty of time.

"And besides," he cut Will off before he could say anything else. "Being a wanted man on the run from the sheriff of Nottingham, I might not live to see nineteen, so it's a mute point, is it not?"

Everyone was silent for a moment as Robin's words sunk in. They all knew the truth in what he said; they were all aware that any one of them could die at any time. But hearing the thought that had been going through each and every one of their heads spoken aloud gave the words new meaning, made them more real somehow.

Little John was the one to break the silence this time.

"All the more reason to find a mate now!" he shouted, his voice echoing through the surrounding forest. Robin raised his head and saw Marian looking at him as John spoke. They both looked away at the same time, embarrassed.

"You want to experience life while you still can, boy." John continued. His tone had taken on a note of seriousness now. "Find as much happiness as you are able."


	5. Chapter 4 Training Begins

_**Chapter Four**_

One morning later that week after breakfast, a few of the men got out their bows and arrows and decided to hold an archery contest. Their target was an _X _carved hastily into the trunk of an old oak tree.

All of Robin's men were skilled in archery, of course, but none so much as Robin himself. He was irrefutably up to the challenge.

Laughing and joking, the men shot round after round of arrows at the mark on the tree. While many came very close, no one hit the _X_ quite as precisely as Robin. On his very first try, his arrow hit the tree trunk right on the place where the two lines of the _X_ intersected. Everyone cheered for him. After he had shot numerous times, and beaten every single opponent, everyone else gave up entirely. "What's the point?" they said, only half-joking. "You're just going to win every time!"

"Oh, come on!" Robin replied. "Don't be a poor sport!"

They waved their hands at him dismissively and began to disperse.

"Come on! Do I not have anymore takers?"

Suddenly a clear, high voice came from behind him.

"I'd like to try."

He turned around to see the crowd parting to allow Marian through. As she approached Robin, there were a few sniggers from the men as they whispered behind their hands.

Robin looked at Marian doubtfully, raising his eyebrows. "_You _want to try?"

"Yes, I do."

He searched her face, determining whether or not she was actually serious. She looked genuine.

"All right," he said, amused, handing the bow over. "I don't see why not."

The men, who a second before had been ready to leave, were now held in their spots, watching the scene before them intently, thoroughly absorbed.

Robin opened his mouth to instruct Marian in how to hold the bow, but before he could say anything she had already shot the arrow with perfect form.

It sailed through the air and hit the tree just about dead-center, the point wedged in the bark directly next to Robin's. A bull's-eye.

Robin's mouth was still open.

There were mutterings and whispers of astonishment from the men as Marian lowered the bow and crossed her arms over her chest, smiling smugly at Robin. He was speechless for a moment.

"Amazing," he said finally. "Where did you learn _that_?"

She grinned. "I grew up with two brothers, remember?"

"Let me see you do that again," Robin said, removing the two arrows from the tree bark and handing one of them back to Marian. She raised the bow again, aimed carefully, pulled her arm back, and let go. She hit the mark almost dead-on. Her skill was second only to Robin.

"That was incredible," Robin told her, gazing at her in wonder. Marian smiled.

"Did I not tell you I could be useful?"

"It appears so."

This was something Robin had not been expecting. When Marian was babbling on about being useful and training with them, Robin had agreed just to appease her. He had not actually considered allowing her to fight with them. But she was better at archery than some of his more experienced men, and after watching her hit the target on her first try, he was beginning to have second thoughts regarding her capabilities.

That very afternoon, Robin began training Marian. They kept at it for weeks. First he had her practice shooting a bit more, and she hit the _X _exactly every single time. Eventually he had her graduate to shooting an apple off of a tree stump. The first time she missed the fruit by a couple of inches, but after that she split it perfectly.

After that Robin decided to try sword fighting with her.

Out of a scabbard Marian pulled one of the long, gleaming swords Robin had brought with them to the clearing. There was a look of yearning on her face as she held it. She waved it before her, slicing and jousting through the empty air.

Robin walked over and took the sword from her, much to her contempt, and replaced it with a different sort of weapon.

"You're serious?" she asked him skeptically when he handed her the new weapon. "You are going to train me with _sticks_?"

She held up the long tree branch he'd found for her and peered at it with dissatisfaction.

"You said you'd never held a sword before," he reminded her.

"So?"

"So, we begin with sticks. You would hurt yourself with a real sword."

She began to protest, but he cut her off. "No, you would hurt _me _with a real sword!"

Robin started by teaching her basic techniques. She gripped the tree branch firmly in her hands, the way he demonstrated.

"I feel silly," she giggled. "When can I use a real sword?"

"When you're ready," Robin answered.

"And when, pray tell, will I be ready?"

"When I say you are."

He stood behind her and put his arms around hers, moving her elbows into the correct position, bent and close to her body. "At first you'll want to stretch your arms out towards your opponent," instructed Robin, "but don't. It'll hurt your ability to thrust and cut. Extend your sword, not your arms."

Marian nodded silently.

"Keep your sword positioned here." He moved her arms down slightly. "Running from the bottom of your torso to the top of your head. Keep your feet shoulder-width apart."

When she had the right position, Robin picked up his own tree branch to demonstrate how to cut, thrust, and strike. When she felt she had the gist of it, they began a battle.

They started circling each other, just like the first day they had met.

"Good," Robin said. "Watch your footing. There you go."

Robin made the first move, thrusting his branch forward. Marian defended herself nicely, cutting off his strike at once.

They practiced like that for a while, and Marian did quite well for her first time.

"Well done," he said after a while. Grant it, he had been going a bit easy on her, but still it was excellent for her first time.

"Am I ready for the real thing now?" she asked eagerly.

"I believe you are," he said. "You've done much better than I had anticipated."

He handed her one of the swords and she took it eagerly. He picked up his own sword.

They began circling again.

Marian kept her eyes on Robin the whole time, concentrating fiercely, anticipating his first move. She was too tense.

"Relax," he instructed. "In battle you must stay calm, keep your muscles loose, regulate your breathing. If you are too tight you can't strike with speed. That could be fatal." He watched her take a deep breath and roll her shoulders, relaxing her muscles.

Without warning Robin leaped forward, thrusting his sword out. Marian blocked the first blow and sent one of her own this time.

"Good, good. Stay balanced. Stay focused. Watch my movements, try to learn my style. Always counter your opponents attack."

They continued jousting, neither one getting the upper hand. Robin still had yet to give it his all, but he wasn't holding everything back, either. Marian was doing excellent. They were both breathing hard, and a thin sheen of sweat was starting to break out on Robin's forehead. She blocked every one of his strikes. But then as she was turning, she lost her footing and fell to the ground with a grunt. Robin closed in and held his sword to her throat.

"Not bad, for your first try," he said as he peered down at her, a smirk on his face.

"Thank you," Marian replied, her chest rising and falling with each labored breath.

Robin held out his hand to help her up.

They walked over to their supplies and sat down in the grass. Robin took a drink from the water flask then handed it to Marian.

"Seriously, though, Marian," Robin told her, "that was really excellent. You lasted much longer than I thought you would."

"It wasn't good enough, though."

"Well," Robin replied flashing her a grin, "not as good as me. But someday, with a little practice, you might come fairly close."

Marian threw her head back and laughed. "Arrogant, much, are we?" she said indignantly, and splashed some water on him.

Robin laughed and reached over to grab the flask from her, but before he could pour it on her, too, Marian was up off the ground.

"No, you don't!" Robin said, and started to chase after her. She got halfway across the field before Robin caught up to her and grabbed her playfully around the waist. She tried to escape his grasp and they both fell to the ground, laughing and giggling.

"Now, that don't look like no training I ever saw," came a voice teasingly from somewhere behind them.

Caught completely off guard, Robin and Marian immediately sobered up and whipped their heads around. Standing at the edge of the clearing was a woman that Robin knew well, but hadn't seen in months. She was in her late thirties, and it seemed to Robin that she had grown even smaller and more frail since the last time he had seen her.

After helping Marian up he walked over to greet Little John's wife.

"Greta! How nice to see you again."

"And you as well, Robin," she replied with a warm smile. Turning to Marian, she said, "And who might this beauty be?"

"Greta, this is Marian. Marian, meet Greta, John's wife."

"It's very nice to meet you," said Greta, taking Marian's hand.

"Oh, it's my pleasure!"

"Well, Robin," Greta began cheerfully, "I think that there was the most I have seen you laughing and smiling since I met you!"

"Oh, that can't be true, Greta," Robin said, laughing some more.

"It most certainly is!" She turned to Marian. "You should have come around a long time ago," she said. "You bring out the best in him, dear."

Marian put a hand over her mouth to stifle a giggle, and Robin ignored her.

"So," Robin asked Greta. "What's with the surprise visit?"

The grin vanished from her face immediately, and there was a sinking feeling in the pit of Robin's stomach.

"That's why I came to get you," she said solemnly. "I need to speak with you and John and everyone together. It is urgent."

Marian looked at Robin, and he saw that she was just as alarmed as he was.

"What's the matter, Greta?"

"Come with me back to camp and I will tell you everything."

Back at the camp everyone was gathered around the fire pit, anxiously tapping their feet or whispering quietly to their neighbors. The air was thick with tension and apprehension.

When they saw Robin approaching they parted to allow him, Marian, and Greta through. Little John was standing off to the side, nervously wringing his hands. He rushed over to them when he spotted Greta.

"Now," said Robin, "tell us what has happened, Greta."

"I received a visit from the sheriff of Nottingham yesterday," she began.

"The sheriff himself called on your home?" Will Scarlet inquired. It was very unusual for the sheriff himself to make house calls.

"Yes, the sheriff himself. He came to tell me to give you a message."

"And what, pray tell, might that be? What remark does the good sheriff have for me?" Robin asked her sarcastically, trying to keep his voice calm over his mounting irritation.

"He…he said that he is done wasting his time with your antics. He said to warn you that if you and your 'merry men' do not cease and desist immediately, the 'consequences for you and your family will be great.' Those were his precise words." She choked on a sob, and Little John put his arm around her shoulders to comfort her.

Everybody was silent after this information.

This was horrible news. The worst Robin could imagine. He felt like sitting down and burying his head in his hands, just tuning out the rest of the world for a while and escaping this trouble. But he knew he couldn't do that. He had to keep up at least a semblance of composure. He was the leader. That was what leaders did.

Later that night, after most of the camp had gone to bed, Robin, Little John, and Will Scarlet stayed up in one of the tents discussing their options.

"What are we going to do?" asked Little John.

"I don't know," Robin replied reluctantly. He never liked admitting that he was unsure, that he didn't have a plan. It was a sign of weakness. "I don't know what we _can _do."

"Well, we don't have many options," said Will Scarlet. "Either we sit back, continue doing what we've been doing, and risk the loss of our families—"

"Or we give ourselves up." Little John contributed. "We turn ourselves in and make everything we've worked for these past few years for naught."

There was short silence while each of them was lost in their own thoughts.

Finally John spoke up. "We could attack. Before they do. We could try to capture the sheriff. If we have him, then perhaps the rest of his men will falter. We all know he's the one with the brains and the brawn behind everything."

"That's a possibility," said Robin. "But if we did manage to capture him, what would we do with him?"

"Keep him prisoner," said Will. "In our own Sherwood jail, right here."

"But how would we capture him?" asked John. "It's too risky to enter Nottingham these days."

"Good point," said Robin. He thought for a moment. "Perhaps we could somehow lure him here. Take advantage of his weaknesses."

"Yes, yes, that would work."

"But how to lure him?"

Robin thought. "I think I have an idea."

Robin told them of his proposition, and they sat there for at least an hour longer going over the finer details. After taking all possible variables into consideration, Robin felt that their plan was a fairly good one. When they finished strategizing, John and Will rose to return to their own tents, but Robin stayed sitting at the table. Will stopped at the entrance and held the flap open.

"Are you coming, Robin?"

"I'll be just a minute," he replied. When he could no longer hear John or Will's footsteps, Robin sighed and ran his fingers through his hair. He was so tired. This life that they led was never easy, but it was about to get a whole lot more difficult. They had never attempted anything of this magnitude before. Capturing the sheriff, though a clever plan, would be a huge undertaking. It was risky and dangerous, and like any plan, there was always the chance it could go wrong.

Suddenly Robin felt a hand on his shoulder. He gasped and spun around in his chair.

It was Marian.

"Sorry!" she said. "I did not mean to frighten you."

"Me? Frightened? Ha!" She raised her eyebrows at him skeptically. "I was only a bit startled, is all," he admitted.

She sat down beside him.

"You look exhausted," she observed. "You need your rest."

He looked at her. "What about you?" he asked. "Why aren't you in bed?"

"Couldn't sleep."

"Me either."

For a minute neither of them said anything, just looked down at the table or around the tent in thoughtful silence.

"Robin?" Marian said after a while.

He looked up at her. She was staring at her hands resting on the table, not meeting his gaze.

"Yes?"

"What Greta said today…about the sheriff…what are you going to do?"

"Is that why you're still up? Worrying about the sheriff and his 'message'?"

"I suppose."

"Well, there is no need to," he said gently. "It will all be taken care of."

"Yes, but how? Robin, I want to help this time. You have been training me for weeks. You always leave me out of your raids, but I think I'm ready now. I have come to care very much about everyone here in Sherwood, too. I don't want anything to happen to their families any more than you do."

Robin sighed. He should have seen this coming.

"You don't even know our plan. It is going to be very dangerous, Marian."

"I don't care how dangerous it is! I want to help you." She was determined.

"We're going to try to capture the sheriff."

Marian looked up at him, obviously surprised.

"That is a little ambitious, don't you think?"

Robin smirked. "What, you don't think I have the capability to accomplish it?" he said teasingly.

"Oh, no, that's not it at all," she assured him, smiling. "Actually, I've been wondering lately if there's anything that you can't do."

He smiled back.

"So…how exactly do you plan to achieve this?"

Robin explained the entire plan to her, down to the very last, minute detail. Marian listened intently the whole time, nodding occasionally, making comments and asking questions.

"I think it is brilliant," Marian said when he finished.

"Thanks," he said, grinning. Then he took a deep breath and ran his fingers through his messy hair again, his smile vanishing. "Truthfully, I'm not sure that we can really do this. I mean, capturing the sheriff of Nottingham…it's beyond anything we've ever attempted before."

"It most definitely won't be easy. But I believe in you, Robin. If anyone can pull this off, it's you."

He gave her a small smile. "You have too much faith in me."

She laughed. "Probably. But _you_ don't have enough."

Marian stood up to leave, but then paused, seeming to think something through. Then she leaned down suddenly and kissed Robin on the cheek.

"Goodnight," she whispered. "Sleep tight."

Robin turned around and watched her retreat, touching his skin where her lips had been a second ago. It still tingled.


	6. Chapter 5 The Plan

_**Chapter Five**_

The success or failure of the first stage of their plan rested solely in the hands of a great friend and ally of Robin Hood's: Friar Tuck.

Tuck, though not a current resident of Sherwood Forest, was a crucial component to Robin's success. Living in town, it was the Friar's duty to keep Robin updated on the happenings in Nottingham and to help distribute gold to the poor. Tuck was overweight, jolly, and loved food and ale almost as much as he loved his God. But Robin had learned very early not to underestimate Tuck. He was also cunning, deceptive, stealthy, and quick on his feet. Robin could not ask for a better ally.

Friar Tuck's task from Robin was very simple; all he had to do was warn him when the next collection of taxes would be escorted through the forest and delivered to the sheriff. The sheriff of Nottingham was very vigilant of his funds—he always met the wagon in the forest to see to it himself that his money made it back to him unharmed.

And Robin planned to meet him there this time.

Friar Tuck returned to Robin the very next day with this new intelligence. The sheriff was to enter the forest to retrieve his taxes three days from the present. Robin notified the rest of his camp immediately, and when the day of reckoning finally dawned, everyone was ready.

About ten people, including Robin, Little John, Will Scarlet, and Marian—each armed with a bow, quiver of arrows, and a sword—set off to a spot about 200 meters in from the edge of the forest where the sheriff's wagon would stop. Greta was also coming; she would play a very special part in their charade. A few men took up places in juxtaposition with each other, surrounding the core troop at regular intervals, as an added support should the need for it arise. The rest of camp stayed behind and at the ready, just in case someone managed to break their primary defenses.

Unsure of precisely what time the wagon and the sheriff would pass through, they were in position by early morning. They waited for hours, hidden from view by bushes and trees, crouched down low in uncomfortable positions.

Robin and Marian were hiding behind the same thicket of leaves and branches, sitting on the forest floor side-by-side. After waiting for what seemed like a millennia, Robin whispered to her, "It shouldn't be too much longer now. They won't wait till too late to bring it through here; the sheriff doesn't fancy entering the forest after dark. He believes it to be haunted," he said with a snort, finding this very amusing.

Robin had thought that Marian would be relieved upon hearing that they would not have to hold these cramped arrangements for much longer, but when she looked over at him and their eyes met, he saw anxiety in hers. There was an uneasiness about her that he couldn't quite fathom at first.

And then he realized what must have been bothering her.

He reached over and took her hand, lacing his fingers through hers. "Are you afraid?" he asked softly.

She looked down at their hands entwined together, not meeting his gaze. "A little," she said quietly.

Part of Robin was actually a bit relieved when he heard this. From the very beginning he never wanted Marian here with them; it was much too dangerous. It wasn't that he did not have confidence in her ability to defend herself—she had shown amazing courage and endurance in their mock battles—he just felt that it was too much of a risk to her. This was no ordinary raid; this was the mother of all raids. If anything went wrong, it could mean a ruthless death for any or all of them. Robin would never forgive himself if anything happened to Marian.

"You do not have to do this, you know," he told her. "You can turn back. There's still time."

She took a deep breath and looked him in the eye. He could see the resolve there. "I know," she said. "But I won't. I am sure I want to do this. I'm ready." She let out a timid laugh. "I'm just a bit nervous."

"As you should be. I'd be worried if you weren't!"

She smiled and looked down again.

"Can I ask you something?" she asked.

"Anything."

"I want you to promise that you will answer me honestly, Robin Hood. Will you tell me the truth?"

"Of course," Robin replied, wondering where this was leading.

"Do you think everyone is going to survive this?"

Robin was silent for a moment. He wanted to answer her honestly. But he also didn't want to unsettle her any further. But he wasn't even entirely certain what he thought himself. He had deliberately pushed that thought from his mind.

"I think…" he began, gathering his thoughts. "I think that it is possible for all of us to make it. If everything goes according to plan."

"And if it doesn't?"

"Then…we'll just have to fight our hardest, and come what may."

Marian didn't say anything else. This was what she was expecting to hear; she had already accepted it.

"Marian…" Robin began, a sudden thought crossing his mind. "If…if anything should happen to me…"

"Robin, don't—"

"No, listen to me. If anything happens to me, I want you to run. Do not stay and fight. And don't do anything rash. Do you understand me?"

She pulled away from him, turning her head the other way, but Robin took her face in his hands and forced her to look at him.

"Marian. Promise me."

She put her hands over his. Tears were starting to well up in her eyes.

"Promise me."

"Okay," she finally whispered, her voice breaking. "I promise."

"Thank you." He wiped a tear from her cheek with his thumb, then pulled her to him and kissed her forehead.

Then suddenly they heard the sound of wagon wheels and horses' hooves clopping against the dirt. They broke apart and scrambled for their weapons, hastily preparing them.

"Are you all right?" he asked her, glancing at her face as they crouched down and peered out through the bush.

She nodded solemnly, refusing to look at him. But it didn't matter that she was less than pleased with him. All he cared about now was her safety.

She piled her long, dark, beautiful hair up on top of her head and tucked it into the cap she brought with her. That was all a part of their plan; Marian was dressed like a boy. It was agreed by all that Nottingham's soldiers might try to take advantage of her if they knew they were fighting alongside a woman. She had borrowed clothes from Little John's son; none of the men's apparel would fit her. In Robin's opinion, her new wardrobe did not hide her natural beauty, and it certainly did not make her look like a man. But the disguise was enough to fool the sheriff and his men.

Now they waited silently for the signal.

Out of the trees in front of Robin and Marian stepped Greta. She stumbled out directly in front of the wagon, in plain view of its driver and escort. She appeared upset and harried. She was playing her part well.

"Help! Help me, please!" she cried. She was very convincing. "Please! They kidnapped me! I need your help!"

The wagon halted immediately and the driver hopped down. "What is the matter, M' lady?" he asked.

"They kidnapped me! I was traveling through the forest, and they took me and held me in their camp! They stole my belongings!"

"Who? Who stole your belongings? Who did this to you?"

"_Robin Hood_!"

"My God," said the driver. "He's real, then?"

"Of course he's real, you imbecile! I have just narrowly escaped from him!"

"Right, right! Come with me, M' lady, we'll take care of you. We'll get you back to Nottingham safe and sound."

While the driver was speaking with Greta, Will Scarlet snuck, unnoticed, out from the bushes on the opposite side of the path. He crept up behind the soldier standing guard at the back end of the wagon. Silently, he grabbed him by the arm and, while holding his hand over the soldier's mouth, pulled him back into the cover of the trees, where he incapacitated him. Then, equally as silently, Little John snuck out from the same side of the path that Robin and Marian were on and took down the soldier on the other back end. Just as easily they did the same with the other two soldiers, without the driver paying any attention. When he turned back to the wagon with Greta, he stopped in shock.

"Where did my escort go? Something ain't right here!"

Suddenly Will Scarlet stepped out onto the path without a word.

"What the—"

Then Little John came from the other side.

The driver started to back away, leaving Greta unprotected in the middle of the path.

Little John stepped up and knocked out the shocked and confused driver, then dragged his limp body into the cover of the trees.

Leaving the wagon unattended in the path, they all took their places once again.

Ten minutes later the sheriff of Nottingham arrived.

He had an escort of about fifteen men with him. As they approached the wagon on horseback, the sheriff called out, "What is going on here? Why has my gold been left unaccompanied?"

They rode up next to the wagon to peer inside.

Suddenly an arrow flew through the air and stuck in the ground in front of the sheriff. He looked up, startled.

"Who's there? Show yourself!" he called.

Another arrow landed a few feet away from him. Then another.

The horses started braying and trying to back away as the sheriff and his men looked around wildly, trying to determine the source of the arrows. "What is the meaning of this?"

At the same time, Robin, Marian, Little John, Will Scarlet and the rest of Robin's men emerged from the trees, arrows drawn and ready.

"Robin Hood," said the sheriff with a sneer. "I should have known. Ah, but what is this? You've got your little friends ready with you this time. But it will matter not." With a sweep of his arm, he said to his men, "Kill them all."

His soldiers drew their own weapons and began firing.

Arrows rained down every which way, coming from both sides. Immediately the Nottingham soldiers began to fall, bright spots of blood seeping through their clothes where they had been hit.

Sensing that their archery was not going to get the job done, the sheriff's men began pulling out their swords. They charged.

The thunder of the onslaught was deafening as metal clanged against metal and bodies collided. Robin became engaged in a duel with one of the soldiers. He glanced around him: Will Scarlet was locked in combat with another soldier, the silver of their swords glinting in the weak daylight filtering down through the trees; Marian was holding up nicely, fighting one of the larger of the sheriff's men; Little John was battling two men at once, and was successfully winning his fight—he had pulled out his quarterstaff.

Robin was then forced to give his full attention to his own battle. He jousted and struck and thrust, finally gaining the upper hand and running the soldier through with it. He fell to the ground in a heap.

Robin moved on to the next man.

They were slowly but surely winning their fight. There were no casualties yet on their side, thank God; a few injuries, but nothing life- threatening.

Out of the corner of his eye Robin noticed Marian dueling with one of the sheriff's men. She shoved the soldier up against a tree and was about to plunge her sword through him. Then her cap came loose and fell to the ground, letting her thick hair loose where it cascaded down her back. "You're a woman!" Robin heard the soldier say in astonishment before she stabbed him and he became silent, for good.

Robin wasn't the only one who heard; so did the sheriff. He turned in his saddle to see for himself, and a wicked grin broke out on his face as he arrogantly began to ride towards Marian.

"Marian!" he called. She turned towards the sound of his voice and saw the sheriff riding towards her. She pulled out her bow and arrow and shot at him, but he swerved just in time to avoid it. She turned and ran towards Robin, and the sheriff followed. Then Marian tripped and fell to her knees, but just as the sheriff came upon her, Robin, having witnessed this turn of events, stepped in front of her and aimed his arrow straight at the sheriff. Since he couldn't redirect his horse in enough time, the sheriff was forced to dive off of his horse. But he still was not quite fast enough. He screamed in pain as Robin's arrow pierced his shoulder, the tip coming out on the other side.

Robin pulled Marian to her feet. "Are you hurt?" he asked her.

"No, no, I'm fine." There was a deep gash on her cheek that was still bleeding, but other than that she looked all right.

She prepared her bow and arrow again and ran back to the battle, while Robin turned to the sheriff. Having witnessed this skirmish, Little John rushed over to assist Robin in hurriedly tying up the sheriff. He screamed and kicked and hollered, but, busy fighting their own personal battles, no one noticed as Robin and John dragged him dragged him out of sight and into the wood.

Then they returned to the fight.

There were only a few of the sheriff's men left now. They already had the sheriff. They achieved what they had come to do. There was no reason to stay and put their lives at risk any longer.

"Let's go!" Robin called out. Everyone disengaged from their fights and pulled out their arrows, preparing to hold the sheriff's men off as they retreated.

One of the more persistent soldiers ran over to Robin and proceeded to duel with him. He was one of the last of three or four soldiers who were left, and most of Robin's comrades had turned and ran, still shooting arrows wildly behind them. This particular soldier fought against him ferociously, so that Robin didn't notice the man standing behind him a few meters back, drawing his bow and aiming directly at Robin's unprotected back. But Marian did.

"No! _Robin_!" she called out, causing him to turn towards the sound of her voice. Robin saw the soldier aiming for him, but there was nothing he could do. Marian ran at the soldier as fast as she could, drawing her sword from her scabbard as she did so. She knocked the bow from his hand, surprising him enough that she could then thrust her sword into his side.

But then, noticing what had just taken place, the remaining two soldiers dashed towards Marian. There was no time to make her escape. They lifted her up, screaming and kicking with all her might, and started to retreat into the cover of the trees just as Robin turned around.

"_MARIAN!" _

With his anger renewed, he turned back and swung his sword hard through the air, where it met the soldier's neck with a sickening slicing sound. He was dead.

By the time Robin reached the edge of the trees, Marian and her captors were long gone. He could no longer hear her screams.

He stood there in the middle of the forest and shouted his frustration and despair at the top of his voice. Marian had saved his life, and doing so had cost her her own safety. He had to get her back. He _would _get her back. He didn't care what it took. If he had to march into Nottingham alone and fight every single one of the sheriff's soldiers empty-handed, he would. If he had to trade the sheriff, a prisoner for a prisoner, he would. If he had to turn himself in to guarantee her safety and release, he would. He would get Marian back one way or another.


	7. Chapter 6 A Lady

**Disclaimer: I do not own Robin Hood, Marian, Friar Tuck, the Sheriff of Nottingham, or any of the other original characters in the story of Robin Hood. **

**A/N I have noticed that several people have looked at this story, but hardly anyone has reviewed! Feedback would be much appreciated! So please, tell me what you think, even it you didn't like it!!!**

**Chapter Six**

Marian was not sure where she was being held, but she knew that she would not be able to escape it. She thought she was underground, because though she could not see them through the heavy blackness cloaking everything, she could feel that the cold concrete floor and walls were damp and sticky.

She had been down here for hours. She was hungry and tired, the gashes on her back stung painfully, and she ached everywhere.

After capturing her, Nottingham's soldiers had carried her back to the sheriff's castle. They put her in a dark, windowless room alone and chained her to the wall. The rusty metal cuffs rubbed her wrists until they were raw. Eventually the door to the room opened again, and the sheriff himself had sauntered in, followed by two of his men. One of them held a whip in his hands.

"Well, if it isn't the Lady Marian," the sheriff had said. He was straight and to the point. "You will tell me where Robin Hood is hiding."

Marian shook her head. "Never!" she yelled.

The sheriff remained calm. "You will tell me, or suffer the consequences."

The sheriff beckoned to him, and the man with the whip stepped forward menacingly.

Marian flinched, but still she had refused. She would never betray Robin. Ever.

So for four hours the sheriff questioned her, and each time she refused to respond, she was struck across the back with the whip. Each time it hit her she screamed out in pain, tears falling down her cheeks relentlessly. The huge welts covering her back bled and bled, until she thought she couldn't stand it any more. More than once she considered giving up and just revealing Robin's location, finally ending the excruciating pain. But then she pictured Robin's face, remembered the way he took her hand in his earlier that very same day, and she held on. She endured the harrowing agony. She cried until no more tears would come, screamed until her voice was hoarse, and she still did not divulge Robin's whereabouts.

When the sheriff finally gave the order for his soldier to quit, Marian was barely conscience. She was only vaguely aware of being half-carried, half-dragged out of the torture chamber. She had no memory at all of being taken to a different room—she woke up in this place confused and disoriented, unable to see a thing. She had no conception of time any longer; she only felt as though she had been down here for hours and hours on end.

Suddenly a rectangle of light appeared on the far wall, and Marian cringed away from it, shielding her eyes. She had gotten so used to the dark that her eyes stung from the sudden brightness.

A man came in through the door. He grabbed Marian by the arm and yanked her roughly to her feet.

He took her to a washroom where she was met by some women who undressed and bathed her. Marian was so confused. They scrubbed her skin and hair until all the dirt, sweat, and blood was gone. Marian would have enjoyed the hot bath immensely if the circumstances were different; it had been a long while since she had washed properly. After her bath, the women brushed Marian's freshly washed tresses one thousand times and dressed her in a beautiful, elegant velvet gown of rich burgundy. It's full skirt and sleeves were decorated with fine gold material and accented with exquisite beadwork. She knew that nothing good could come of this, but that didn't stop her from feeling like a princess in the gown, if only for a moment.

When she was all dressed up and ready—though ready for what, she did not know—she was taken to a room that was occupied by none other than the sheriff himself.

As she walked in, he turned from gazing out of the window. His eyes raked over her, from the hem of her gown to her stunning dark eyes, and Marian shuddered.

The sheriff reached out and gently, almost lovingly stroked her hair. She recoiled from his touch.

"So lovely," he whispered. "It's really quite a shame to do away with you."

Marian gasped. He was going to have her put to death.

"I suppose you are curious about all this," he said, gesturing to her gown. "You have been dressing as and living with the outlaws for so long. I wanted you to look and feel like a lady one last time before you die."


	8. Chapter 7 The Final Battle

**Chapter Seven**

The sun was setting when Robin finally returned, casting an orange glow over the whole camp. Everyone was sitting around the fire talking.

"Robin! Where have you been?" asked Little John, without waiting for an answer. "We have some good news and we have some bad news. I'll tell you the good news first, then, shall I? The good news is we all survived! We all made it! No one perished. The bad news is…" he trailed off. "You tell him, Will, I can't do it."

"Coward," Will Scarlet muttered mockingly. Then he became abruptly serious. "The bad news is…Robin, the sheriff got away. He escaped. When we went to retrieve him to bring him back here, he was gone. The frayed ropes were lying on the ground."

"Either he somehow managed to cut himself loose or one of his soldiers found him and let him loose," said Little John.

Robin still had not said one word yet. They all waited for his reaction.

Then someone said, "Hold up. Where's the Lady Marian? We all thought she was with you, Robin."

Looking down, Robin answered quietly, "She's gone. They took her. Nottingham's men took her."

There were gasps of astonishment and outrage.

"Oh, Robin!" Greta cried sympathetically.

"I am going to Nottingham," said Robin suddenly, his voice rising. "I'm going to go rescue her. Tonight." He stood up. "Who of you will join me?"

"Robin, no!" said Little John. "You cannot show your face in Nottingham so soon after our attempt to take the sheriff hostage! The price on your head will surely have doubled. You would be killed on the spot for that kind of prize if you happened to be recognized."

"Then so be it. I have to try." He started to walk away.

Greta stood up and ran over to him. "Robin Hood! You sit right back down there, you hear?" She sounded just like a mother scolding her children. And in some ways, she was somewhat of a mother to Robin. "You are _not_ going into Nottingham tonight, and that is final. It can wait until tomorrow."

Robin looked at her helplessly. "Tomorrow could be too late." He felt his eyes stinging. "The sheriff shows no mercy, remember?"

"Yes, I know, but if you try to save her tonight, you will only succeed in getting yourself killed, and what use will you be to Marian then?"

Reluctantly Robin allowed Greta to lead him back to his seat around the fire. After a long, grueling hour of arguments, insults, and near- physical encounters, together they finally convinced Robin to get some rest that night and come up with a plan to rescue Marian the next day.

He did not sleep well that night, though. It took him hours to eventually fall asleep. And when he finally did he slept fitfully, plagued by nightmares.

When morning finally arrived, before they even had a chance to discuss how to rescue Marian, they received a surprise visit from Friar Tuck.

"Robin! Robin, I need to speak with you, it is urgent."

"What is it?"

"You are aware that the sheriff has captured the Lady Marian, I presume."

"Yes, of course!"

"He is holding her prisoner in his dungeon. He tried to force her to confess where you are hiding. Robin, he's torturing her."

Robin looked stricken.

"She refused to reveal your location." Tuck took a deep breath. "Robin…he is going to execute her. The hanging is already scheduled for sundown tonight."

It took a moment for this to sink in. Robin didn't want to believe it. Eventually he said in a desperate whisper, "Tuck, what can we do? How can we rescue her?"

"I might have an idea." Tuck gathered everyone around and explained his plan to them.

That evening, armed with bows and arrows hidden among their robes and wearing dark hoods to conceal their faces, Robin and his men crept up to the protective walls of Nottingham, meant to keep out enemies. They each took up positions approximately one hundred yards apart, so as to be less ostentatious. They each pulled out a homemade grappling hook, hastily forged by their blacksmith that very day. They swung them up and over the wall, hooking them over the wood at the top. Holding on tightly to the rope, they started to climb up the wall.

Once they touched down on the other side, Robin gave a sigh of relief. They were in.

Following the Friar's plan, they made their way as inconspicuously as possible towards the town square, where the hanging was to take place.

The streets were so crowded it was nearly impossible to walk without brushing against another body. All these people were here to witness the hanging. This irked Robin greatly; did they have nothing better to do than watch the death of an innocent young girl? How could people be so morbid?

They soon reached the town square. The empty gallows were in the very center, and citizens were crowded all the way around it, eager to see death and murder. Any kind of excitement to break the monotonous pattern of their daily lives under the cruel tyranny of the greedy sheriff of Nottingham.

Robin looked up at the sky. The horizon was a beautiful rainbow of oranges, pinks and reds. It was almost time.

Up on the battlement of the parapet surrounding the town square sat the sheriff, leisurely looking down on the crowd below him. Robin was tempted to just pull out his bow and shoot the sheriff right then and there. It would be all too easy. But he knew he couldn't do that. It would give away his position and their entire plan would be ruined. Robin clenched his hands into fists to keep from reaching for his bow.

Suddenly a fanfare rang out, and the drum line picked up a battle rhythm. The crowd began to part, clearing a path up to the gallows.

Robin peered down the path.

Two guards were walking behind Marian, each holding one of her arms and leading her to the gallows. Robin's breath caught when he saw her. She was seemed more beautiful than he had ever remembered seeing her before. Her hands were tied behind her back, and she was now wearing a fine dress of red velvet instead of the trousers and tunic she had on when captured. Her hair was clean, combed out, and flowing freely about her face. She did not look afraid; her face did not give away any emotion at all. She appeared both calm and proud. She had already given up and accepted her fate, and was determined to show no fear.

Robin wanted desperately to somehow let her know that he was there, that he was not going to let her die today. Marian and her guards passed right by Robin, close enough for him to reach out and touch her, but he did not dare attempt to get her attention. She stared straight ahead, not once glancing at the crowd of spectators gawking at her.

They led her up the steps of the gallows. Robin clenched his teeth.

They placed the noose around her neck. The crowd started cheering.

From up on his balcony, the sheriff stood up and looked out at the crowd. Everyone quieted down and turned their full attention to him.

"Citizens of Nottingham," he began. "You are here today to witness England's justice system in action." The crowd cheered and applauded. The sheriff waited for them to quiet down before continuing. "This young woman you see before you is a criminal of the highest order. She is a thief and a murderer. She has committed treason and withheld valuable information from the Nottingham law enforcement officials." The crowd booed and shouted, spewing insults and profanities. They were riling against her; that was precisely the intent of the sheriff's little speech. "Above all of this," continued the sheriff, his voice steadily growing in pitch. "She is ally, friend, accomplice,"—he paused for effect— "and _lover_ of the notorious _Robin Hood_!"

At this the crowd became rowdier and more raucous than ever.

Growing more enraged and choleric by the second, Robin waited impatiently for Little John to make his move. In order to carry out the rest of the plan, Little John had to create a distraction. Now was the time to do it, but when Robin looked over at John, he was just standing there. Robin caught his eye and stared at him meaningfully. John pointed to the gunpowder barrel that he was supposed to be shooting at. It was surrounded by townspeople. They couldn't risk innocent lives. Robin cursed under his breath. They would have to come up with another distraction.

Pulling his hood tighter around his face, Robin hurried through the crowd, shoving people out of his way, trying to come up with an alternative distraction as he went.

Then the drum roll started.

Robin stopped in his tracks and looked up, horrified. They were about to do it. Marian was truly about to be hanged.

He gazed up at her, and felt a tug on his heart. Her pretense of unconcerned detachment was deteriorating. Her eyes were squeezed shut tight and there were tears falling silently down her face.

Out of the corner of his eye Robin saw Will Scarlet striding through the crowd towards the barrel.

He looked up and saw the sheriff give a slight nod to the soldier standing on the gallows.

The soldier pulled the lever and the floor dropped out from beneath Marian.

"_NO!"_ Robin cried.

"Out of the way!" Will yelled as he pushed through the crowd. He reached the barrel and lit a match, shouting at the people surrounding him to move away. He lit the barrel on fire and it exploded in a fiery, orange mass.

Chaos rained on the streets of Nottingham.

"What in the devil's name is going on down there?" the sheriff bellowed down from his position on the balcony.

People screamed and ran every which way, caroming into each other and pushing others out of their path.

But Robin did not notice any of this. He pulled out his bow and prepared an arrow. Time seemed to stand still and the whole rest of the world fell away as he concentrated with a fierce determination on his target. He aimed, pulled back his arm, and then released it. His arrow soared through the air, passing panicking civilians and frustrated soldiers attempting to control the hysterical mobs. With devastating accuracy, it sliced through the rope Marian was dangling from, cutting it in two.

Marian fell to the ground in a heap.

Robin ran to her as fast as his legs would carry him, praying as he went that his arrow had not hit his mark too late to save her.

"Marian!" He reached her and immediately untied her hands and gathered her into his arms. She was breathing. There was a purple bruise in a ring around her neck, but she was alive. He helped her to her feet.

"Oh, Robin!" she cried as she threw her arms around his neck, tears still rolling down her cheeks. He embraced her tightly. "You came for me," she whispered. "I was not sure that you would risk it."

"I would die for you," Robin said into her hair.

Their reunion was cut short when Little John called out, "Robin! The sheriff!" and pointed to something behind Robin's back.

Robin turned around, reluctantly parting with Marian. The sheriff was rushing towards them, a murderous glare in his eyes. Robin quickly pulled out his sword and rushed to meet his hateful foe head-on. The time had come to end this feud between them once and for all.

"_Loxley_!" the sheriff yelled in anger.

The sheriff swung his sword first, and Robin lifted his in defense. They dueled, metal clanging against metal, each man determined for the other to fall under his blade. Then, with one lucky strike, the sheriff knocked Robin's sword out of his hands, and, it felt to Robin at least, that it went skidding across the ground in excruciatingly slow motion.

Robin backed up as the sheriff advanced on him. He tripped and fell back.

The sheriff cackled maniacally. "Ha! I've got you now! There will be no escaping this time, Robin Hood! Do you still believe you are so invincible now, on the ground at my mercy?"

He raised his sword. Robin squeezed his eyes shut, preparing for the inevitable blow that would seal his fate.

But it never came. All of the sudden the sheriff stopped, a shocked expression frozen on his face, and the blade fell from his grasp. As he started to tip forwards, Robin quickly scrambled out of the way.

And there Marian was, where the sheriff had stood only seconds before, holding the hilt of Robin's sword in front of her with a satisfied expression on her face, the tip of the blade bloodied. She had stabbed the sheriff in the back while he had stood triumphing over Robin.

Robin slowly stood up and stumbled over to her. She threw the sword away from her as she met him and they embraced again.

"Now that that bit of unpleasantness is behind us…" Robin said with a gleam in his eye. He bent his head and kissed her passionately.

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	9. Epilogue

_**Epilogue**_

And so, with their dauntless defeat of the sheriff, Robin Hood and the Lady Marian freed the good people of Nottingham of the evil and greedy man's tyranny, restoring peace and order once again to the town. Once liberated of the sheriff's taxes and laws, the small town of Nottingham prospered once more.

Robin's band of Merry Men, including Little John and Will Scarlet, returned happily to their wives and children. Robin and Marian still kept in touch with every one of them.

Richard the Lionheart, King of England, returned from the third Great Crusade to claim the Holy Land from the Turks and pardoned Robin of all offenses.

Robin Hood married the Lady Marian and they both lived long and happy lives. Though they were no longer considered outlaws, they continued to take the law into their own hands when they deemed it necessary. Robin and Marian had but one child—a beautiful daughter named Gwyn. But that's another story….

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